US: Volkswagen urges the government to increase electric auto investments

Volkswagen of America’s leading product official has asked both the US federal and state governments to invest more in the electric auto segment in order to support the sales of the eco-conscious vehicles.

Joerg Sommer, vice president of product marketing and strategy at VW of America, wants the authorities to spur electric vehicle sales and the needed infrastructure development, adding that the company will also put money up front – investing t $10 million in EV charging infrastructure by 2016. He contended that VW’s and other investments made by interested companies should be supported by additional governmental investment to spur electric vehicle development. “Automakers have effectively delivered electric vehicles that can satisfy the needs of most American drivers,” Sommer said in a speech at the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s annual conference. “This should be a U.S. government priority.”

Sommer believes the appropriate state and government measures would be to: EV fast-charger installations in cities and along highways should be implemented through federal funds; the tailpipe emissions credit multiplier for plug-in vehicles should be extended, not decreased from the 2017 through 2021 model years; and state and federal fleet operators should focus on purchasing plug-in hybrids and full-electric cars.

Automakers so far have invested billions of dollars in researching, developing and producing electric cars, with the US market today having around 24 plug-in electric and hydrogen fuel cell models and another 20 on their way during 2015 and 2016. They delivered the vehicles in part to comply with upcoming tough tailpipe emissions and fuel economy regulations that will become more stringent during the next decade in Europe, the US and Asia.